Improving power play on display in Capitals’ two-game winning streak

The power play has not been the Washington Capitals’ friend this season.

For much of the 2021-22 campaign, the Capitals have been one of the worst teams in the NHL at scoring with the man-advantage. But over the last five weeks, Washington has finally turned around its power-play woes, and that was on full display during the team’s last two wins.

Washington (30-18-9) scored two power-play goals in each of its wins over Carolina on Thursday and Seattle on Saturday. The execution was much-needed, as the victories followed the team’s worst three-game losing streak of the season.

The Capitals have scored a power-play goal in 10 of their last 13 games, including in four straight. In January, the Capitals ranked as one of the three worst power play teams in the NHL, but since Jan. 28, they are converting on 30.2% of their power-play chances. Now, their season-long power play rate is 17.9% — not too far off from league average and four percentage points higher than it was in late January. 

In the 5-2 win over the Kraken Saturday, the Capitals scored on both of their power plays — the game-winner from Conor Sheary and an insurance score from Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin’s goal was the 764th of his career, putting him two goals away from tying Jaromir Jagr for third all-time. 

Sheary said getting forwards Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie back to pair with Nicklas Backstrom, who missed the first two months of the season, has helped Washington’s special teams.

“I think we obviously got a few bodies back in there,” Sheary said. “I think we feel like we have two really good units that can work hard and use our skill to create opportunities.”

“There has been a lot of turnover on the units,” coach Peter Laviolette added, “so it is nice to get people back and situated and in place and get them working and rhythm.”